Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Anna
Haifisch was born in Leipzig, East Germany, in 1986, three years
before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Despite the Reunification of
1990, the former German Democratic Republic has not only lacked
prosperity in the aftermath of a socialist market economy, but also
an artistic vision. These shortcomings have led to a persistent
climate of economic and artistic inequality that is comparable to
current divisions in Germany's comics scene. Starting in the late
2000s as an initiative led by Berlin publishers Reprodukt and Avant,
pushing the term 'graphic novel' at the expense of 'comics' has
become an essential strategy to place their publications in
mainstream media and bookstores and achieve accolades and moderate
sales successes, as well as public and private funding. This
aggressive grab for respectability and subsidization has resulted in
a series of monotonously constructed, pseudo-literary comics, many of
them dealing with the GDR or Nazi Germany, to the exclusion of almost
everything else. Haifisch has managed to avoid these artistic
pitfalls, despite growing up, studying illustration and running her
studio in those parts of Germany still frequently considered to be
deprived or left behind. Departing considerably from the one-note
formula that dominates contemporary German comics, Haifisch places
herself in the role of 'The Artist,' outside and above these
conventions and therefore able to add invaluably to the slow change
within the German comics scene towards a new vision. It is a vision
that extends beyond the confines of German comics and beyond the
boundaries of the German language. Haifisch's series for Vice
magazine, 'The Artist,' is slated for a fall 2016 release by both
French publisher Editions Misma and England-based Breakdown Press. It
follows the joint French and German release of 'Von Spatz,' her first
long-form comic, in 2015. *******************************************************************************

How
in the world did an East German end up with those usually reluctant
poseurs at Vice?

Alex
Schubert, who draws the 'Blobby Boys,' recommended my work to Nick
Gazin, Vice's art editor. As far as I know, it took him a while until
Nick was convinced. Thank you, Alex! Thank you, Nick, for trusting
me. I'm very thankful for that.

'The
Artist' exists as a naked, disheveled white void across the series.
Is this meant to show the impoverishment of the artist's life, as a
commentary on the artistic ego, or do you just not like drawing
clothes?

I
wanted him to look malnourished and pale. And yes, he is a nameless
white void. He
is THE Artist, he is AN artist and he is (never forget where you're
coming from) a bird.

I
took notice of your use of Calimero
in a strip
you recently did with Nick Gazin for Vice. Is placing Calimero next
to Robert Crumb in that strip a comment on the use of racist
stereotypes, i.e. whitewashing?

What?
I was four Coors in and Gazin was high. This comic is clearly about
hats or something.

Is
the beanie you're constantly wearing sort of a tribute to that
cracked
eggshell
of Calimero? Are there other looks from comics-related protagonists
you're sporting, like -uhm- Andy
Capp?
If not, could you name three of your favorite characters in comics?

Ooh,
I love the symbol of the broken eggshell so much. If Calimero didn't
already wear one, the Artist would. I like Woodstock, Owl and Widow
Douglas
so much.

Art
school serves as a common punchline across American comics.
Having experienced both American and German art scenes, is there a
universality of experience, or are Americans just more open for
mockery? Do you feel more connected to American cartoonists? Are
there German cartoonists who had an influence on your work?

I
don't think I know both scenes very well. Just certain groups, people
whose work I like. My American friends are wilder cartoonists, more
reckless in their art. Maybe less happy, I don't know, maybe because
of the circumstances. I'm very grateful for my German comic mates
too. Excellent people. Max Baitinger, Jul Gordon, Sascha Hommer,
Aisha Franz, …

You
have left your former publishing house in Germany, Rotopolpress,
to work with Reprodukt
now. The latter is known for pushing the term 'graphic novel' to get
its products into bookstores and receive favorable reviews from the
mainstream press. By doing so, Reprodukt tries to create a new,
'literary' reception which appears to be quite different from the
usual fandom. Any thoughts on that?

I
didn't leave Rotopol. Reprodukt borrowed me for one book. I'm part of
a dreamy threesome, you don't know what you're talking about.

I
still don't know what a graphic novel is, but I appreciate anything
that Reprodukt does to reach out for new audiences apart from sweaty
perverts with awful taste. The depiction of the typical German comic
reader still keeps me away from saying 'Ich zeichne Comics' ('I draw
comics') in public. It's fucking embarrassing.

I
want my work to be in art galleries, feuilletons and libraries -
anywhere - just far away from these people. I'd call it 'graphic
novel' or whatever [else it takes].

Shout
out to Rotopol and Reprodukt! Fuck the mainstream! I don't care.

Do
other cartoonists' characters (Burkholder's Sexy
Frog,
Schubert's Blobby
Boys)
only exist in The Artist's drug addled mind, or do they all just
really like hanging out at the disco? Probably in
the shower?

Oh
yeah, they would be great in the shower together or playing cricket.
Stuff good friends would do. They can all come over to my house. It
would be so wonderful.

Did
you intend to become rich by co-founding the MillionaireClub?
If so, why did you publish stuff by Andy Burkholder or G.W. Duncanson
within your Tiny
Masters
series?

We
are millionaires! Rich in visions, ca$hing in on red hats.

Duncanson's
tumblr isn't named 'cash money cartoons' for nothing and Andy is the
mogul behind ITDN group and Oireau. They're gems and we are
visionaries.

Are
cobras
The Artist's sunflower paintings, or just a reminder to not put on
pants?

Everything
the Artist creates is a placeholder for contemporary art. No meaning
but this. It's my mission for him and his burden.

Are
your lines just erratic because of your hunger for success? C'mon, no
one's buying the stuff about paying homage to Saul Steinberg.

There's
so much I want: I
want to be successful, I want my drawings to be read and shown. I
want to be influential, I want to be rich.

But
the reason for my shaky lines is my nervous and impatient temper.

When
you shift to a
documentary storytelling device
in 'The Artist,' what do you think the narrator sounds like? These
sections also take on a more mythological tone from the rest of the
series. What do you find interesting about this particular
storytelling device?

Patrick
Kyle should be the narrator. He has a beautiful deep voice.

The
religious or mythological tone is my favorite part of writing 'The
Artist.' It's pure honesty. When I talk about artists as saviors and
saints, I really mean it (and every other word, too). It's me giving
a speech. I deeply believe that art is mankind's last straw before it
sinks into brutality and chaos. If we let go of art, the world is
lost and we will all die not soon after.

Alright
then, please name three things you like about Blaise Larmee's Three
Books. Don't use the words Tawrāt,
Zabūr
and ʾInjīl‎
while trying to do it. Furthermore, please explain making use of him
as
a doctor
in “The Artist“.

I
really like Blaise's sense of design. The layout and the book itself
is beautiful. I like the pretentiousness of his alter egos, the
exaggeration behind each of the three books. It succeeded in
convincing me that Blaise is a thoughtful prince of comics.

Blaise
is comics' family doctor. He is going to heal comics from monotony
and will eventually be the naked Icarus who's leading the medium
towards the sun where it will burn down to the core. A sigh of relief
will shake the forests and deserts and we can all move on to bigger
things. That's what the cameo meant.

Is
your rehab playlet 'Von
Spatz,'
which features Walt Disney at a breaking point, color-coded to
reference pink flamingos? If so, in a Michael
Mann
or in a John
Waters
manner? Are you disneyfied? Ub Iwerks or Floyd Gottfredson?

No,
not at all. I don't watch a lot of movies. I wouldn't reference any.
My colors are coming from my former days as a screen printer.

I
am disneyfied like everybody else. Every child grew up with Disney's
characters. He's the most famous artist on this planet and therefore
I admire him. There's something about early photographs of the first
Disney Studios… they're really touching. Walt and his friends are
looking so happily into the camera. Full of hope and not afraid.

As
someone who
hates Nancy and Sluggo,
do you see any relationship between the beats of a four-panel strip
and a four-page comic? Are repetition and structure important aspects
of comedy?

I
think repetition is essential for comics. I don't know how many times
I'm drawing the same thing. From panel to panel, making sure the
reader can follow my thoughts. This turns drawing comics into a drag
sometimes. You can't be lazy, there are no shortcuts to repetition.
Right now I can't make a lot of sense of that, sorry. You better read
Andy Burkholder's comics for more information on repetition.